Data communications has become increasingly important in today's society. One aspect associated with data communications relates to the use of input/output cards. Input/output cards may be generally assigned resources and/or configured to operate in a certain mode. These modes, such as master and slave protocols, allow a given input/output card to operate in a designated manner. One problem associated with systems that include input/output cards is that end users or pilots may misconfigure or incorrectly assign resources or identities to components, devices, or elements. This may be important in cases where some entity relies on the identification of a corresponding input/output card to implement a particular functionality or device in a corresponding architecture. In other scenarios, input/output cards may generally have restricted adaptability and limited versatility. These deficiencies may operate to inhibit system performance and provide inadequate solutions for data communications systems.